Essential Cuisine
Viewing entries tagged
Aging Beautifully
This is the most delicious “simple” smoothie. It is refreshing, and if you use sweet ripe pears it is even better. This combination is great for a morning cleanse and afternoon refresher! Make enough to last a day or two. YUM!
Ingredients
2 ripe pears
½ of a bunch of Italian parsley
3 - 4 cups of water
Blend into a drink - add water as needed. Pour into a glass jar and keep refrigerated.
‘Imi ola: the Hawaiian word that awakened me how to express the true meaning for Aging Beautifully. I am totally in love with this word.
If you are any kind of seeker in truth, growth and a beautiful life, you may love this word as much as I do. Actually, ‘Imi ola is a value. Taking this value on as a practice is to encourage fulfilling a destiny of achieving the highest form of life - well being. What a beautiful goal.
Many of us are just trying to get by, or some of us have big goals of making a good living, being healthy and living in supportive communities. Many need a purpose, something of value and meaning to drive us. What if our innermost primary goal was to take on the value of ‘Imi ola and seek the highest form of life and well being as our destiny? Would this be enough to satisfy us? Could our purpose be first and foremost to steward ourselves continually so that we could be a vessel of well being to ourselves, families, communities, and the world?
If we took on that value as a practice with our eyes on the prize, imagine how wonderful it would be to be living in an old body having achieved the highest form of life - well being. Doesn't this just give you the coolest vision?
It did for me. This is such a better vision than one with fear and loathing over getting old. I think I am going to call it “Aging Beautifully”. There is nothing more beautiful than an older person who is healthy with a twinkle in their eye. The Dali Lama is a good example as are many of the Centenarians. When we stand on a mountain top and view the Earth in all its majesty, “beautiful”, is the word that many say. A healthy Earth, and healthy humans are all beautiful. This is what we want to achieve.
In an effort to express how much this means to me, I created a video over a year ago that I want you to watch. I believe it will give you a new perspective on aging, and perhaps awaken in you a new vision for your life’s purpose. It did mine.
I am launching an upcoming course called: ‘Imi ola - The Path to Aging Beautifully. You will be hearing a lot more about it as I adopt this theme going forward and share everything I can think of that has helped me to and others I know to Age Beautifully.
Have a question? Need some help? I am happy to offer 15 minute free consultation. Please sign up here for an appointment. It is always helpful to me as well as I hope it is for you, so please do sign up.
Also, I am opening up a few spots for private coaching again. Stay tuned for my new course coming soon called “Aging Beautifully - a Lifestyle and Dietary Makeover” . This will be a 8 week course you will not want to miss.
This recipe was inspired by Edible Hawaiian Islands Magazine - the winter edition.
When I saw this recipe I thought that Ramen might be a good thing to share with you. I have been buying this Lotus brand of Ramen for several months. Ramen is one of the most simple meals when you are not in the mood to cook much, and every now and then a gal needs noodles!
I keep mine in the freezer so that it stays fresh. Use whatever vegetables you might have on hand and whatever broth you might have. It is all good!
Instructions:
Boil the noodles for 4 minutes.
Strain and place the noodles into a bowl. Add warm broth, chopped veggies and whatever else your little heart desires.
In the picture I used some steamed spinach, left over pumpkin squash and chopped cabbage. Enjoy!
Check out the Edible Recipe HERE for more ideas.
In continuing with my theme of STRESS and Living As A Spiritual Practice, I set out to write a blog post about movement. But then horrific shootings and the California fires, among other things happening in the world took over me. How can I write about such simple things like movement when grief, shock, trauma and mourning was living within me? Along with the recent election many people are sad, angry, afraid, and feeling helpless, yet others are happy and celebrating. On so many levels our emotional bodies must deal with all of this.
We must all be feeling a range of emotions that might have to be cast aside so we can get through our days, and this could quite possibly cause our bodies and souls stress we don’t even acknowledge. For this reason I am moved to share an experience that I had years ago that is helping me to deal with my wild range of emotions. First let me introduce to you Matthew Fox, the man that taught me this practice.
Matthew Fox is an American priest and theologian. Formerly a member of the Dominican Order within the Roman Catholic Church, he became a member of the Episcopal Church following his expulsion from the order in 1993. Fox was an early and influential exponent of a movement that came to be known as Creation Spirituality. (Wikipedia)
I read many of Matthew’s books years ago, and then studied with him at a conference in Mexico. It was there I experienced his “Cosmic Mass” of which the principles of the ritual have lived on in me.
Below is a paragraph from Matthew Fox’s website about the Cosmic Mass. There you can also learn more about the value of this ritual. For now, I am going to share my take away from the Mass and how I integrate the concepts of it into my life as often as possible.
Is this truly a Mass?
Of course it is. If you deconstruct the Mass, taking it apart and looking for its constituent parts, you will find that the Mass follows the Four Paths of Creation Spirituality: The Via Positiva or celebration of existence (Thomas Aquinas says this is the first dimension to Worship: To say Thank You for Creation); the Via Negativa or sorrow for sins; the Via Creativa, the blessing of wine and bread as the food of the Cosmic Christ; and the Sending Off which is the Via Transformativa.
When I experienced the Mass we were in a very large conference room at a hotel in Acapulco. What follows is a brief description of my experience, best I can remember.
There were no chairs or tables in the room in this huge conference room. It was empty except for four large visual screens, one up in each corner of the room along with powerful speakers for the music. It was staged something like a rock concert. Mr. Fox gave a talk first to prepare us for the experience. Then the lights went down and we began. In the first stage of the Mass there was vibrant beautiful music of celebration. We all moved and danced wildly while we viewed a slide show in the four corners of the room. Beautiful pictures of life, children, and nature - all colorful beautiful visuals - took us over as we moved with inspiration, gratitude and celebration.
After about fifteen minutes of dancing and celebrating the music stopped and the screens became black and dark. Mr. Fox took a moment of tenderness to recite a short reading and soon the screens were replaced with visuals of destruction, pollution, starvation, war, and death. The room became silent.
People were now sitting on the floor as we made the transition from dancing in celebration to sitting in the dark as we were given a space to cry and mourn. As I recall the experience, I am moved emotionally as it was so very special to sit among a hundred people or so and face the truth of our existence, to mourn together and allow ourselves to feel what we were certainly feeling on some level but had not really allowed it to surface.
Once the mourning and grieving space had cleansed our hearts and souls, we took some time to give blessings and prayers of apology. Then the atmosphere was shifted back to celebration. Beautiful visuals of possibility, peace, union, community, birth, renewal and a beautiful Earth filled our hearts with hope and love. We danced wildly again with a renewed spirit. We were transformed and made stronger for what is and what lies ahead.
The Mass took about one hour. We emerged internally transformed and wet from our physical cleanse, like we had just come out of a hot yoga class. Everyone was bright eyed, loving and lighter. We had met our feelings head on. We cried for what is happening to our brothers and sisters, the animals and the Earth. We now possessed renewed strength from our bond and a cleansed soul to move on. I remember Matthew saying that people are starved for ritual that feels real and deep to them.
To put it simply, here are the stages of the Mass in my terms:
As a prayer we give thanks for this life, ignite the feeling of gratitude for who and what we are individually and together grateful for. It is a simple acknowledged heartfelt, “Thank you”.
Then we face the sorrow that we feel for the destruction, grief (ours and others), anger, hatred, and fear for what might lie ahead. We allow our vulnerability and tenderness to surface, and to grieve with sadness and compassion.
Lastly, we move from our grief and send off a prayer of blessings, and then more celebration for what we have, and the possibilities that lie ahead. We emerge cleansed and strengthened.
When I read the news about people going up in flames with their families and loved ones while trying to escape, I can’t help but hurt for them. I let myself really go there and feel how horrific this must be. The idea is to look at the destruction and horror right in the face, to feel it and allow yourself to honor the grief and move it through you. Honoring the grief is a way of honoring life, because we are honoring the absence of what has died. I bring this up because so many of us, myself included at times, acknowledge how bad some things are, or must be, and then brush it aside or stuff it. Then we get on with our day, while not really going to the heart of our feelings and allowing them to surface.
When I was sick and in so much pain a few months back, I cleansed a lifetime of stuffed emotions, I had no idea were there. This made me realize that I had not really faced and felt many things in my life that deserved to be faced and felt. Now, when so called “negative emotions” arrive, I try to create a space to let them take center stage. I let myself feel the hurt or the fear, and then cast a prayer and look toward the light of a new day. Keeping a daily journal is a great way to process emotions. Tapping is another. Sometimes when I take a walk I merely express myself out loud (yes, I go by myself). Several years ago my singing teacher told us to sing our emotions as loud as we could - even if we are crying. If we needed privacy, which I surely did, she instructed us to get in our car….alone! The idea was to sing emotionally what is true for us until it feels like it is over and/or is out of us. This is a very useful technique.
Meditation is effective to calm us and bring us back to center, but it does not always move the emotions that may need moving.
Since our world is offering us a lot to pray for, as well as a lot to celebrate, perhaps you can create your own ritual to process your emotions. It probably does not matter how you do it, the important thing to do is to make sure you pay attention to your feelings and emotions. Be with them fully and move them through to the other side.
Many medicate with alcohol, marijuana, opioids, sex, exercise, work or food...whatever. It is fun to change the channel of our consciousness sometimes, but let’s not let some of these recreational or habitual practices override what might be lurking deep inside of us. Otherwise they will surface someday, and most likely in a disease of some kind.
If you have a process that works for you, please share it. We are all learning how to live in this new and evolving world that none of us are prepared for. None of us have lived tomorrow yet, so let’s pay close attention to our feelings of today.
Happy ThanksGiving to all! I am so very grateful to have this space to share with you.
Aloha, Susan Teton
There are many reasons to eat well, we all know that. It is actually vital to a healthy existence, and we know that too. But, let’s just think about the stress we put on ourselves with regards to diet. I can think of several stresses food and diet put on us that don’t even involve taking a bite of food. This is what I want to speak to in this post, because choosing a path and sticking with it has alleviated so much stress from me. And, the best part is that I have had enormous pleasure in doing just that. Yes, it takes a little more time in the kitchen, but by being nourishing and delicious it creates a stress free feeling overall. Below is a little bit about the path I chose and some of the reasons why I don’t feel a bit stressed over my diet anymore.
Most of you know by now that I am a foodie and after all, I do call myself “Chef Teton”. My foodie path all started with my advocacy work (hyperlink to book) and then I ended up using all of that knowledge in the kitchen. For a good part of my life diet and nutrition partnered with agricultural practices and policies has been the passion behind my work. I tell you this because even with all of this dedication and study, it could be that I am as confused as you might be. There have been so many diets birthed in the last 20 years that one might wonder, what’s next? The Acorn Diet?
Adding to the challenge of choice, we have the task of feeding ourselves and our families with budgetary constraints and fresh food availability. Then mental beliefs, judgements and sometimes guilt are all thrown into the body along with every bite we take, or don’t take. The whole idea can be stressful, not to mention confusing. Out of sheer desperation at the onset of my mystery illness I had to pick and path and stick with it because honestly, I had lost my way. I was cutting corners and not nourishing myself with what my body needed for the demands I was placing on it. Additional stress was happening on various levels.
Like I mentioned in my previous post, I had been to the ER four times with these short episodes of my heart pounding, shortness of breath, and dizziness. Each time the episode would come on I would become terrified. I felt silly going to the ER again, so I would sit in a few minutes of fear based confusion until I had to make a decision to call a friend, an ambulance, or ride it out. The doctors had already ruled out any life threatening situations so what should I do? I did not have a clue how to heal or reverse the situation.
A friend recommended I read the Medical Medium (MM), by Anthony William. I had heard of him and his book, but never read it because I thought it was just another ‘slant’ on the same old stuff. Desperate for anything to help my “mystery illness” I purchased it on Audible and began to listen. I was blown away. I found the MM to shed an intriguing light on autoimmune diseases - not what I had at all expected, and I felt like he was speaking directly to me. He spoke about the symptoms of autoimmune diseases attacking so many people today, and the case studies that he shared resonated like nothing else. He blasted some of the current medical myths wide open and gave me confidence that all these problems were reversible. His message landed in my like truth. I believed him, and began to practice his dietary protocol and supplementation with grateful dedication.
The MM gave me clarity and hope. Anthony William is not a doctor, nor a nutritionist. He is a man who has been gifted with the voice of “spirit” who speaks to him. His story is actually quite fascinating. Could we call this “spirit” God, or a divine angel that has come to help us with an area of life we obviously need help with? Some may laugh at this, but the path he laid out made sense to me. Adrenal Fatigue and/or Chronic Fatigue were included in his chapters, which I intuited as my problem. I was in.
I began juicing daily, eating (and I must add enjoying) fruits, dates and a wide variety of vegetables and plant foods like never before. His protocol for healing is basically an abundance of fruit, vegetables, squash, potatoes, beans, coconut oil and/or olive oil, and animal foods (if desired) once a day. He stresses more of a low fat diet, no eggs, dairy or grains. Did I have some rice or a piece of toast now and then? Absolutely. It took me awhile to adjust, particularly with regards to fats, and I also included bone broth. His recommendation to lower animal food consumption was mostly due to the high fat content. This protocol was a big shift for me for the following reasons:
I had to lower my fat consumption. I was consuming a lot of butter, especially in my morning coffee and/or Yerba Mate. It might work for some, but not for me while healing. No more stimulants, and no more massive butter contributions, yet I still enjoyed a bit of butter here and there on veggies.
Nourishing myself became the focus. It was not about what I did not eat, it was about what I did eat.
The creativity was fun. I began to make wonderful fruit salads, and soups, which I had not enjoyed for a long time. I munched on dates, dried figs and nuts for a snack often throughout the day.
Enjoying fresh fruit was so liberating. I had adopted the belief somewhere in me that too much fruit was not that great because of the sugar content, which influences candida, parasites, and more. I so enjoy fruit now and the small little problems I had with my skin are gone.
At first it was an adjustment, but once in the groove of feeding/nourishing myself, it became easier, and I began to feel lighter and more clear headed.
There were no complex recipes to follow, which is what I advocate in my teaching. Rather, you prepare the food raw, or cooked and consume it as it is with just a few condiments as needed. There is really no need for a ton of ingredients to make a dish. The method of combining raw and cooked together is actually what started my cooking/teaching career. Keep it simple and fill up with plant foods.
As for the supplements he recommended, well, there were a lot of them. I took it slow in that department and integrated them over a bit of time.
The MM dietary and healing protocol was humming along nicely for me for a few weeks when the Shingles attacked me. For this I am very grateful because the MM also had an entire chapter on Shingles, so I was somewhat prepared with a path I felt would support me. I understood it would take some time. Even though I had fallen into the mindset of immediate healing or transformation, I could feel in my body that this would not go away with a couple of good nights sleep. I rested in knowing I was on a new journey that would require layers of space and change.
Why I recommend reading MM is not only for the food and diet but to understand and/or get a new perspective on autoimmune conditions, the fatigue and stress symptoms, and the potentially misleading information we are getting. I mean, if there was true healing for Thyroid Disease, Chronic Fatigue and/or Lupus, as an example, from the medical establishment, then great. But, from my own understanding, there is not. Medicine may alleviate symptoms but it does not truly heal and reverse most conditions. The MM explains that the EPV (Epstein Barr Virus) is the root cause of many of these conditions. I am sure there is much more for us to discover, but we know that there is a problem brewing in many of us, and shedding a new light of wisdom and a protocol that brings healing is what we need.
During my 2 months of Shingles trauma friends delivered tons of fresh veggies and fruits to me. One day there were three people in my kitchen washing and prepping everything so all I had to do was juice, cut and/or cook. What a dream that was. When people offered to bring food, I had a clear idea of what to ask for. There is more I will share in the future about getting help and some of the ways my tribe here has learned to help one another in a way that is easy and organized for all.
It has taken a bit of a learning curve in how to make nourishing myself “simple”, especially now that I am up and integrating into the world again. It was easy when others were doing the shopping and my only task each day was to prepare food for myself. I continually asked myself, “How do people do this who work. How will I do it?” I will be sharing my recipes and methods on my Blog as I journey along. I am already seeing how easy it is to get back into the stressful mode of short cuts and hurry, or sheer laziness.
To tie this up, I am going to make a strong recommendation to you, and that is to do everything you can to put fresh organic plants (fruits and veggies) into your body. If you are inclined, read the Medical Medium or listen to it on Audible - if only to get inspired as to the power of these foods, some of the myths we have come to believe, and how food can bring your body and soul back into balance. You will be inspired by the case studies and I guarantee your will drop some confusion, if you have any about your diet.
Lastly if you want to lose weight, I think the MM protocol might be the best way possible because it is not a fad, and you will not go hungry. I felt like all I did was eat, and I still lost weight. This diet is a lifetime practice for nourishment and well being. In my opinion it is in alignment with “Living As a Spiritual Practice” in that it is in alignment with what the Earth provides for us at her best. Do it!
You can purchase the Medical Medium on Amazon.
Coming Up:
The wonderful world of pain meds, marijuana and CBD’s.
How to enlist your family and friends for the help.
How to identify the stress in your life, and how to get rid of it.
Do you know how much toxins you’re exposed to on a daily basis in our modern life? Lots! We are unfortunately exposed to tons of toxic chemicals in the air (inside and outside), water, food, and the personal care products we use. As a result, we end up living with so much of these toxins trapped in our poor body with our liver and kidney (our detoxification organs) overburdened and overtaxed.
And guess what? This accumulation of toxins show up on our FACE!
And, there is something we can do about it inside and out that is super easy.
OMG! My skin! I hear many women who are getting older complain about their sluggish looking skin. In addition to all the toxins you’re taking in internally, your face and neck are also absorbing other things flying around in the air externally. If you continue to allow toxins to accumulate in your body, naturally, your skin will take a hit and signs of aging will creep up on your skin prematurely.
It is vital that you cleanse inside and out periodically to rid yourself of toxins that accumulate. And doing so will help your skin become healthy, smooth, and glowy. You might be thinking that you don’t have the time or the money for some elaborate and expensive cleanses but there is another kind of cleanse that you can do regularly that is affordable and only takes minutes. And you can do it with one single product.
You can ingest this product to keep your system cleansing itself on a regular basis, and you can put it on your face to do the same thing. Yippee! You can use this simple, affordable method that keeps you aging beautifully!
What is it? It is Sacred Clay.
Clay is probably one of the most powerful supplements that you can use on a daily basis to sweep out heavy metals and other toxins that accumulate in the body as we live. This daily one stop protocol can sweep out these toxins and revitalize your skin all at the same time.
Here is how to use it:
In the body:
Take one tablespoon of clay in a glass of water each day. That’s all you have to do.
On the face:
For a quick facial, all you have to do is add some water and make a paste for your skin. Apply it on your face, neck and chest if you like, let it dry and then wash it off. I like to apply it about 15 minutes before my shower.
For the body & bath:
To bathe in it, add about ½ to 1 cup of clay in your bath water. When you drain the tub it will not clog your drains. If you feel a flu coming on, or you have an infection, or perhaps you ate a toxic meal, Sacred Clay, in a nice warm bath will come to your rescue.
Keeping your system and your skin clean and revitalized on a regular basis will not only help you stay healthy, but it will also help you to age beautifully with smooth, glowing skin!
Here is some vital information about Sacred Clay and where you can get it:
Go to Vitality Herbs & Clay and mention Susan Teton at checkout.
This company by far has the best clay for detoxification. Check out their other products and give them a call. They are super informative.
There are other protocols that can help revitalize your skin and keep it moist and beautiful. I have all kinds of other tricks up my sleeve to help keep you vibrant and aging beautifully. I would be happy to offer you a complimentary consultation, so give me a call and let’s chat…
Schedule a call now right HERE. I would love to hear from you.
Want more tips from Susan? Subscribe and download her "I Love My Body Meditation" MP3.
Wouldn't you love to just wake up every morning and know exactly what to do to unstiff yourself and set yourself up for comfort and flexibility throughout the day?
I have met so many people who just want to head straight for the coffee pot, myself included. Or, some might pop a pill, hit the freezer for a shot of vodka, or light up the bong. You think I am kidding. I know people who do this. Some also, just dress, head out the door and sooner or later the back loosens or it does not.
Since I am one of those people who does wake up with a stiff back, and it takes at least an hour for me to wake up, there is no way I can start work, or go out for a walk or run without doing some sort of stretching. Even the idea of yoga sounds awful if I am stiff.
When complaining to a friend about how long it takes me to wake up, she offered her solution, “I wake up, pee and go straight to the yoga mat, and breathe myself awake.” OMG. A light bulb went off when I heard this. This I can do. My mind did not have to think a routine, or a lot of movement, or anything but walk to the mat. Somehow the mindset worked for me. It sounded inviting, slow and peaceful, and has been my practice ever since.
I want to share this same practice with you, because so many people have back issues, particularly upon rising. And, this practice serves so much more than the back.
So, here is what I recommend. Set up your yoga mat or a blanket in a spot in the house where it will be waiting for you first thing upon rising. Relieve yourself, grab a glass of water and go to the spot and simply do the “cat cow” stretches - slowly. If it is easy, turn on some soft morning music that feeds your soul.
Cat Cow instructions:
Be extremely gentle and keep breathing. Chances are, if you are like me, you don’t stop there and instead continue on with a few more stretches. It depends on how much time I have.
The point here is to get on the mat and unstiff your whole back and bring some fresh breath into your body - “breathe yourself awake while loosening your back.” During this time you can also begin to go in and give your body gratitude and instructions for the day.
This practice will set up your spine for a more productive day, I am sure of it.
My vision for you is to be comfortable in your body. This is important especially as you get older. Much of people’s back pain today can be alleviated. Since I have had chronic back pain for years, I have learned how to keep myself pain free, and that is with continual movement and strengthening.
Keeping our back healthy is so crucial at any age but especially as we get older. And speaking of getting older, today my interview is airing on the Menopause is a Trip Summit. Listen HERE for more valuable insight into the wonderful process we are living. You will also be able to download the “I love My Body” meditation mp3 for free.
Do you want to learn how to keep our back (and the rest of the body) healthy and more? I have got lots of tricks up my sleeve and I can’t wait to share them with you. Schedule a strategy session with me HERE.
